


Clay Jensen x Reader Imagines

by rikkisdreams



Category: 13 Reasons Why (TV)
Genre: Angst, Crushes, Established Relationship, F/M, First Meeting, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Love, Other, Reader-Insert, Reader-Interactive, Romance, admitting feelings, meet cute, mutual feelings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:15:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25308838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rikkisdreams/pseuds/rikkisdreams
Summary: requested: @losers-club-forever on tumblrprompts: "Is that my shirt?" & "You look like you need a hug."warnings: sad thoughts? sort of implied anxiety and/or depressionword count: 514
Relationships: Clay Jensen & Reader, Clay Jensen/Reader
Kudos: 11





	1. Here For You

**Author's Note:**

> requested: @losers-club-forever on tumblr 
> 
> prompts: "Is that my shirt?" & "You look like you need a hug."
> 
> warnings: sad thoughts? sort of implied anxiety and/or depression
> 
> word count: 514

You slam your robotics book shut. Nothing is sinking in when your head is this full. You put your things away, then rest your head in your hands. You let out a small grunt and try to push away the thoughts in your mind.

“ **Is that my shirt?** ” Clay distracts you for a minute, when he is suddenly standing opposite you. “Are you wearing my AKR shirt right now?”

“Uh...” You glance down at the item of clothing, as if you didn’t remember taking it from his closet _on purpose_ this morning. “Yeah, sorry. I didn’t pack an extra when I came to your last night.”

“That’s okay.” Clay shrugs, taking his seat on the other side of the table. You peer up at him and notice a small blush on his cheeks. “It’s quite, um... sweet, actually.”

He smiles, looking you over. You offer a weak one back. “How was your lunch?”

“Fine, um...” Clay pulls out a comic from his bag, laying it out in front of you both. “I thought you were going to join us?”

“I just didn’t really feel like it today.” Your eyes flicker from his now concerned looking gaze, to your own twiddling thumbs. You sigh. “Sorry.”

“No. No, no, no. It’s fine. Um...” He clears his throat. “Are you okay?”

"Yeah... I mean, yea- no." Your eyes begin to tear up. "I guess, not really."

Clay reaches across the table with one hand, offering it to you if you need it. You sniffle and take it, his soft fingers gently wrapping around yours.

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

"I don't really even know why... what I'm feeling, so..." You laugh, but it's short and not at all enthusiastic. You shrug and look up at him, like maybe he'l have the answers to why your mind is reeling today.

"That's completely okay. I get it. I'm here for you if you need anything. Anything at all."

You sniffle again, pulling your sleeve up and over your knuckles and wiping under your nose. Clay squeezes your hand again, gaining your attention once more. "Can I, um... **you look like you need a hug**. Can I give you a hug?"

You nod without really thinking. "Please."

Clay is on his feet in seconds. He walks around to your end of the table and sits down in the seat next to you. You fall into his side as his arms wrap you in a warm, gentle embrace. He kisses your tear stained cheek and rests his head against your own. “I’m here for you.”

You close your eyes for a few minutes, appreciating the comfort that his words bring. “I know.”

You feel Clay’s smile, rather than see it. “Good.” He kisses your forehead and you sit there together, until you are ready to get up and leave.

You stay at your own house that night, but not without getting texts from Clay every hour or so, asking if you are okay. Or letting you know that his bed is big enough for two people if you need it. 


	2. Sweet Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> requested/dedicated: @misspygmypie on tumblr
> 
> prompt: “You come into my room and wake me up at 4am, to cuddle?”
> 
> warnings: I think there is one curse word? nightmare description (being chased/falling), typos - probably

You bolt up, eyes widen and heart racing. You clutch your hand against your chest and try to regulate your heavy breathing. Looking around, eyes darting from object to object, you remember that you're at the Jensen's, safe. You take a deep breath and sigh, palming your eyes to rub the sleep away.

You were being chased by someone in your dream. They were coming at you fast, and you seemed to be slowing down. Their face was a blur, you couldn't make out any details, any features that might tell you who it was. The person had reached out at the last minute, grabbing your arm and tugging you down. You were falling then. The mixtures of bright, swirling colours made you feel sick as you just kept falling. It felt like it would never it. That is, until, you saw the mystery person again, a few feet below you. This time they reached up with their hands, ready to catch you. Just as you were about to make contact with the figure, you woke up.

You frown and shake your head, wondering what could have brought on the strange dream. Thinking back, you remember sitting with your two best friends, Clay and Justin, watching memes together and laughing before you had gotten tired and bid them each goodnight. Nothing that would have lingered on into your mind and caused such a realistic-feeling, terrifying nightmare.

You were staying the Jensen's only because it had gotten quite late. The three of you hadn't been paying attention to the clock, having too much of a good time together. You had texted your parents at around eleven, and just asked them if you could stay. You'd think they be wary about letting you sleep in the same building as two young men, but you had done it many times before. The Jensen's had turned Clay's old room into a spare and the boys slept in the outhouse, so your parents were, more often than not: happy for you to sleep over.

Though, you thought maybe they should be a little worried. After all, you had developed quite a crush on one of the two brothers. The nerdy, protective, slightly more weird one: Clay Jensen. It had been a while since you discovered this, and only your best friend, Jessica, knew about it. She was the one who thought it best that you didn't tell your parents unless something happen between Clay and yourself. She nudged your arm on the night you had confessed and said, "hey, if you keep it to yourself for a while, your parents will still let you sleep over there, right? You'll get to spend loads of time with him."

You loved this idea. And so that's what you had done. You kept your feelings to yourself until you were ready to admit them to Clay. That way, you could keep coming over without worrying that your parents might try to stop it. You could picture your Dad's face if he knew you were sleeping in the same house with a boy you liked.

You look around the room for some paper and a pen, and when you find them, you quickly write down the events of your dream. Maybe they would make for a fun, interesting read in a few weeks, or months time. You fold the paper a few times when you are done, then grab your phone and slide it into the case.

"Shit." You whisper, when the screen lights up, revealing the time. 3:05AM.

-

You had being attempting to fall back to sleep for fifty minutes now. Every time you get close, you remember the figure, chasing you. You give up, eventually, and you sit up once again.

For a minute, you think maybe you should just load up a game on your phone and pull an all nighter. But then your mind wonders to your best friend and crush. You start to think about how safe you always feel when you are with him.

Clay is always the guy who tries to protect his friends. From anything, and absolutely everything. He's the first person to text a friend if they express that they aren't feeling great that day. He's the one who checks up on a friend, when they are sick at home, or have any kind of medical appointment. He's the one who rushes over to help a friend up if they fall, in both senses, physically and mentally.

Sometimes you feel like you rely on him, he's _that_ protective. You'll actually wait for his call on a down day. Or sense his worry from afar when you are sick, wrapped up in bed at home. You wait for that knock on the door, followed by one of your parents bringing up a 'care package' signed with Clay's name on top. If you were to trip in front of him, he would pick you up again, brushing the dirt off your hands and inspecting them for injuries.

These thoughts are what lead you to the outhouse. You walk as quietly as possible out of Clay's room and down the stairs. You already know where the spare key is, having locked up or opened up for your friends many times in the past. Plucking it out of the topmost wicker basket in the shelves, you swing it around your index finger.

The chilling, early morning breeze hits your skin the instant to step outside. Luckily, the outhouse is very few steps away from the main house. You are inside and locking the door again in two minutes.

"Clay?" You whisper.

He's a light sleeper, when he's not having bad dreams, and clearly he isn't tonight as his eyes pop open. He slowly sits up and glances over at his sleeping brother.

"Clay." You walk over, stopping at the end of his bedframe. "Right here."

He looks up, blinkly slowly as he takes in your presence. "Y/N?"

You grin, laying your hand flat and holding it right under your chin. "One and only." You joke, dropping your hand again.

Clay shuffles so he can better look at you. "You okay? What're you doing in here?"

"I..." You fold yours arms, scratching the back of one of them with a painted fingernail. "Had a really weird dream-- _nightmare_."

"Oh. Sorry." Clay points towards the couch. "You wanna sleep in here?"

"Uh- yes, but..." You can't believe you are about to ask your best friend — _no_ — your crush, if you can sleep in his bed... _with_ him.

What if he says no? What if he thinks you're weird for asking? What if he thinks you're asking a different question entirely?

" _Y/N_." Clay whisper-yells.

You hadn't realised you were tuning him out. "Hm?"

"I said, 'but' what?"

"Oh, um... it's just- I'm kind of, like, terrified. I keep trying to go back to sleep but then that dream just pops back into my brain and I, um, can I-" You suck in a breath, closing your eyes and hoping Clay doesn't react badly. "Can I sleep with you?"

Clay's brows lift, but he doesn't yell or grimace, or do anything you thought he might. Instead he just asks, "In my bed?"

You nod, looking down at your feet as you feel the embarrassment grow in the form of a blush on your cheeks.

"Let me get this straight. _“_ **You come into my room and wake me up at 4am, to cuddle?** ”

You shrug, looking up again. "I mean, I guess... yeah."

Clay stares for a moment and then he lies back down, getting comfortable against his sheets and pillows. You take this as an obvious no, your heart sinking as you turn to leave.

"Okay." You swirl around quickly, your hair hitting the side of your face from the speed. Clay pats the space he's made and smiles. "Come on. Get in."

You try not to grin, not wanting to seem too eager. "Really?"

Clay pats the space again, confirming his answer. "Hurry, I'm cold."

You slide into the space, careful not to touch him too much. Clay then pulls the blanket back up, covering the both of you. The pillow is like a cloud beneath your head; so soft and fluffy. You let yourself sink into it.

Clay whispers, still being careful not to wake Justin. "Good?"

You nod, but then remember that your back is to him. "Good. Thanks, Clay."

"M-hmm."

"Can you get back sleep here? Are you still thinking about the dream?"

You close your eyes, sliding a hand under the pillow and your head. "I hope so."

His next question is slow, and cautious. "Can I... try something that might help?"

"Um." You frown, confused. "Yeah. Sure."

At that, Clay shuffles closer to you, _really_ close. Close enough that your back and his bare, shirtless torso have no barrier. "Is this okay?" He then wraps an arm around you. His hand searches for yours under the blanket. Without thinking, you grab it and he interlocks your fingers. Your joined hands rest against your stomach, and his arm gently against your waist. "Y/N?" He mutters.

"Y- yeah?"

"Is this okay?"

"More than okay." Your eyes pop open. _Why did you say that? He's going to think you wanted this: to be wrapped up in his arms._

Clay rests his head in the crook of your neck. Shivers chases themselves down your spine when he speaks softly again, his breath hitting just behind your ear. "Good."

So many butterflies dance around your stomach. Here you are, in bed with your crush, cuddling; and his mouth is only mere inches away from your own. You sigh, contently. Clay chuckles lightly, wiggling his head a little to find the perfect spot against your neck.

"Sleep now, Y/N. Sweet dreams this time." He pulls you in a little bit tighter and starts to drift off, and you follow shortly behind.

This time your dream is much sweeter because they are of you and him; of his arms around you in other places, like school, the movies, the park, anywhere. You dream about him hugging you in public, as a couple. You dream about his lips on yours.

And you are unaware until the morning, but Justin was awake the whole time. He tells you later that day about how you were making pouty faces in your sleep, "kissing the air like a fish". It makes you blush, and you make him promise that he won't tell Clay.


End file.
